The present invention relates generally to a handheld lighting system that can be mechanically coupled to a variety of devices, such as medical and industrial endoscopes, to provide high intensity, low heat light.
Many devices that operate in small, closed areas, require a light source to operate. For example, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures are conducted through small incisions in the skin or natural body orifices. In order to operate or view an internal area, medical professionals use endoscopes that have small, elongated distal portions that fit within these small openings but are long enough to reach the internal areas within the body. These instruments need to provide precise and accurate movement in order to reach areas within the body that are difficult to access. The distal working ends of the endoscopes usually contain a small camera that allows a medical professional to view an internal area within the body during the procedure. The camera and the working end of the endoscope must have adequate remotely controlled illumination to permit the medical professional to view the internal area. In some endoscopes, a camera positioned outside the patient's body can receive, via a light guide, radiation reflected from an illuminated internal area and form an image of that area for viewing by a medical professional.
Many conventional light sources are inefficient in converting electrical power to light, and must be connected to external power sources, limiting their range of motion. Light emitting diodes (LED) can produce light without generating a large amount a heat, but they are not typically capable of generating enough illumination to be useful in a variety of applications, such as endoscopic systems. Even if multiple LEDs are employed, in many conventional systems, the inefficient coupling of the light generated by the LEDs into a light guide of a device can result in insufficient intensity.
Accordingly, there is a need for enhanced lighting systems, and particularly a need for such systems that can be employed to provide light to a variety of medical and industrial devices.